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From IBRACN

UPDATE #2 - (2-21-08 @ 8:00 pm) - FACT - I received an email from Barry Lewis last night confirming that this "rumor" is a "FACT".....and now I see that they have released a press release stating the same thing. The formation of TLC Racing (Tatnell, Lewis, Cooley) was announced officially this morning. The team will be using the Australian built Cool Chassis and will be run out of the Tatnell garage. The team will be running at Knoxville and other dates when possible. They are looking for sponsorship to help with expenses. Great news for Brooke.

Look out Knoxville! Hope they can make a full season of it and help the car count! I would imagine that if any hired guns out on the big tour start "not cuttin the mustard". He would get the call in a heartbeat.

Brooke has to be one of the most qualified canidates today, what a lettdown, to be dry for a seat this long is amazing , I hope everything only gets better from here on out, where can I purchase a team shirt ASAP ? , I hope this is just a stepping stone of more to come for the Aussie Outlaw! class act!

Its great to see that Brooke has something together finally. He is a class person. I wish him all the best this season.

WHY ARE WE HERE? BECAUSE WE'RE HERE. ROLL THE BONES.-
Neil Peart

Good news.Brooke has been through some tough times recently but is all set to get back in the saddle and his association with Lewis/Cooley could lead on to bigger things in the future.Barry is as keen as they get and will be excited to have a driver of Brookes caliber in his car.Good luck to all involved.

That's good news, I'm happy for Brooke. The Tatnell garage is right in the neighborhood about five minutes from my place. I better give them some space or they'll put me to work...

Stan Meissner

Any word if they plan on running Huset's every week also?

Fenders are like vacuums... they both suck.

This is the email I recieved when I was the road king

TLC RACING TAKES SHAPE.

Current Australian and 6 time World Series Champion Brooke Tatnell has joined the newly formed TLC Racing Team for the upcoming US race season in the shape of the newly formed TLC Racing. The Aussie team is comprised of Barry and Vivian Lewis along with John Cooley. TLC Racing will be utilising the Australian built COOL CHASSIS powered by a fresh Allan Felsch engine. The team plans to start at the season opener at the Knoxville in late April and plan to hit and miss about twenty or so races throughout the year.

This is not the first time Barry has been patriotic in giving an Aussie a shot at racing in the US as he has been linked to Skip and Bob Jackson, Peter Murphy and recently Trevor Green.

“After three good years with Trev he informed me that he wanted to move back to South Australia and we agreed that the Australian Title would be our last meeting. I had contemplated selling the whole race team but I also knew that Brooke and Guy Forbrook had run into a sponsorship short fall and Brooke was still searching for financial backing to join Forbrook Motorsports in mid April.” stated Lewis.

“Speedway has been a major part of my life and I did not want to see Australia’s best driver without a ride in the US. It’s going to be a tough exercise as we are on a limited budget and we are still trying to tie down sponsors to support us. Brooke needs to make a living for his family and we want him to be able to show people in the states just how much talent and desire he has. What makes this deal really cool is that we will be using one of Cooley’s Australian built COOL chassis.”

Talking to Brooke yesterday it was easy to tell that a weight had been lifted of his shoulders. “Guy and I still have agreed to race together if we find the financial resources required, both Barry and Cooley are willing to work with us on this. Barry has come in like a lifesaver at the last minute with this deal it was put forward the morning of the rained out Australian Title and finalised last Tuesday after discussing this with Guy.” Explained Brooke.“I’m excited to have the race cars coming to our house so I can maintain the cars as this is going to be all hands on deck around the Tatnell camp. Amy’s learning that the big gear goes to the top & the little one goes to the bottom and Emma is spinning the wheels to make sure that the tyres are balanced for her Daddy” joked Tatnell “I promised Cooley three years ago that I would one day run a Cool Car in the US and I am really looking forward to proving to fans in the US just how good his cars are. With a limited race budget if we have an off night we will be looking for fill in races with teams“ . At this present moment the team have two complete cars with motors being prepared to put into a container with all their tools but the team is still trying to put a transporter in place. “The transporter isn’t the most important thing right now, if we have to use an open trailer that’s fine with me, Karl Kinser once said Palm trees in front of a race shop don’t win races nor do cool looking trailers” confessed Brooke. Keep an eye on this team, go down say G’Day and buy one of the new Brooke Tatnell team shirts. Brooke Tatnell PR

Brian 

"TURN AROUND; MATE !"

Can you Imagine a open trailer? only to stop in one some night and whip a$$,

Im a dreamer, I know, but, in todays teams there is no such thing as open trailers? , a small rig is a $45,000 dually hooked to a $20,000 36' trailer, I know big rigs make everything comfortable and on the road it makes logical sence, Id be curious if Donny,Steve,Sammy,Kraig,etc, would accept this offer? this is a true racer, behind all the glamor and sugar coating sometimes a heart bleeds through, maybe he's hungry ? but, in any case I hope it all pans out for Brooke.

Stan, I would proubly be over there 24/7 they wouldnt be able to get rid of me! , Id proubly push the dam car to Knoxville!

Barry had a transprter over there last season but was not planning on returning and sold it.He also brought all his racecars etc back to Australia.Now due to getting the opportunity to run with Brooke he has to turn everything around and head back Stateside.His motors are good,his cars are good and you can be sure he will put all his resources behind Brooke to make this thing happen.

They'll find a deal on a trailer around here somewhere. Elite Transporters, the official trailer of NHRA, is just a few miles down the road. Last time I talked to the owner they were building for Joe Gibbs Racing. They might have an open trailer sitting in the tall grass behind the shop.

I haven't been to Knoxville for several years. It's the Sprint Car Capitol and I love the racing but I haven't had much luck there. It wasn't worth the expense to drive 600 miles and get a motel only to end up standing in somebody's truck bed to try and take a photo. Photographer's credentials are required to get out by the fence and I'm not going to spend $250 for one night of racing and not be able to get any photos for the paper I write for.

My son and his buddy are going to Knoxville for the April WoO race. They plan on camping out and spending some money at Dingus' so I'll have a representative there from my family.

I don't hang around the racing shops much unless somebody wants some photos. It's a business for them so I'd just be in the way.

Stan Meissner

am i missing something, brooke said he had to talk with guy forbrook. was or os guy going to run two cars if a sponser comes up.

Isnt the Dude wheeling for guy? Im sure the deal was with Guy was, " bring your friends with full pockets and we'll have some fun"? Stan , maybe you right , the cameras might get scratched, besides they might not want to give away any Aussie secrets anyhow,

which reminds me, remember in NHRA about ten years ago (was it Burstien?) that would place a towel over a computor? when the body was lifted? ah, I miss the suspence , truth is, they proubly didnt want the drivers water bottle getting warm so they covered it up? anybody remember that? dang cameras!

Oe, and the Dingis!, something is wrong with thier canned water, Ive left there feeling really goofey? naw, thats just me ? have a ball!

I just hang around on my front porch and wait for the races to come to me

Stan Meissner

oh boy, where have I heard that before?

If Knoxville has close to 20 races, does that mean he is only gonna gun Knoxville? With his talent, I would be running Knoxville, Huset's IRA shows, special shows. However, maybe he wants to slow down and spend more time with his family. If that is the case, I don't blame him one bit, but if he wants to make a living driving a sprint car, will 20 some shows cut it? I would love to see him Knox, Huset's and all over the midwest.

Jeff

He hasn't returned to the US or commented on this new deal yet. What we want for our favorite drivers isn't always what they are going to be able to do. Especially if they end up having to run their own deal on a limited budget. They're located about 40 minutes from Cedar Lake, an hour and 20 minutes from Rice Lake, two hours from Superior, an hour and a half from Red Cedar and 50 minutes from Princeton. Just those tracks alone cover about a dozen nights of IRA and WoO races. I'd hardly think he's going to sit home when they're racing that close to home. I think those questions will all be answered in time.

Stan Meissner

FINALLY!! This is great news! Maybe this is premature for a new team, but does this make them a favorite, or a contender for the track title? Good on ya Brooke!